The XOZ-XL is my first drogueless rocket. Drogueless means that at apogee, the rocket splits into two sections which are held together by a long (kevlar) line. No drogue parachute is used, and the rocket will tumble back to earth with approximately 30m/s. After reaching the right altitude, the nose cone is ejected, releasing the main parachute.
The drogueless design allows for launching at angles less than 85 degrees, which typically results in a high horizontal velocity.
Fig.1. The XOZ-XL and me just before launch.
The XOZ-XL has flown twice now and reached altitudes of 3500 and 3750 meters with a maximum speed of mach 1.05! See the youtube movie below for a perfect recording of the latest flight.